Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis hinted about his possible return to the South Africa team. He said that he is grateful that the new coach has reached out to him and he will finalise things after the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
“I’m very grateful that the new coach has reached out to tell me that he would like me to be a part,” says Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis last played for the team in the shortest format of the game against England in 2020. He announced his retirement from Tests in February 2021 but said that he would be available to play for the country in the white-ball format.
Since then he has been overlooked by the CSA and hasn’t been named in the team. The RCB skipper has been consistently scoring runs in franchise cricket all around the world. The right-hander was in staggering form in the recently concluded SA T20, where he captained Joburg Super Kings and scored 369 at an average of 41.00 and a strike rate of 147.60. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.
Faf Du Plessis said "MS Dhoni influenced a lot in CSK, they are good leadership from top with Sreenivasan, Kasi, Dhoni, Fleming – they back players, it helps a lot and Dhoni plays a big role, his presence and game is never out of reach". [NDTV] pic.twitter.com/8KcFXHXCRh
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 17, 2023
Du Plessis is currently captaining Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2023. He has led from the front and has been in red-hot form. The right-hander is currently the leading run-getter with 631 runs to his name.
In an interview with NDTV Sports, he revealed that he is talking with the new coach Rob Walter. He said that the conversations so far have been about his fitness. He said:
“I’m very grateful that the new coach has reached out to tell me that he would like me to be a part (of the team). At the moment, it’s just conversations to talk about where I’m at physically. I’ve been struggling with a tennis elbow for about a year now. I’ve had some injections into that… It’s a conversation where I feel like you got to look at the balance of where I’m at physically, emotionally, and mentally. Right now, that balance is really good.”
“We’ve spoken about the T20 World Cup next year in July,” says Faf Du Plessis
Faf du Plessis further went on to say that his fitness might not allow him to play 50-over format but he surely will be there for the T20 World Cup next year. He revealed that the final decision will be taken after the IPL.
“50-over cricket is a different story. Obviously, it’s a longer format. You’re on the field a lot more… We’ll cross that bridge after the IPL, moving into the latter part of the year. More than anything, we’ve spoken about the T20 World Cup next year in July, which is something we both want to make happen. That will be the focus point.” He concluded.
